Hot growler- clearest beer ever?!?

[hifidelity]

I took a growler of a relatively young (kegged two days prior and only two pints pulled off the keg before filling the growler) double IPA to a cookout Sunday and decided not to bring it in so it was left in a hot car (the high was 86) for a few hours. When I got home I put the growler in the fridge. I poured a sample from that growler yesterday and it was the clearest beer I've ever brewed. It was absolutely beautiful. No chill haze- it was clear right from the fridge. I just pulled a pint of the same beer from the keg and it definitely wasn't as clear until it warmed up a bit and the chill haze left.

Was it the act of heating the growler and rechilling it that made it so clear? It must have been, and I'm tempted to start letting my kegs warm up as part of the conditioning process.

For what's it's worth- I added Whirlfloc at 15 minutes in the boil, used a wort chiller to cool the wort as quickly as possible, cold crashed for two days prior to kegging, and kegged on top of a teaspoon of Biofine Clear. I feel like I'm doing everything right, but I'm still searching for clear beer. I realize that what really matters is the taste, but having that beautiful transparent pint in front of me really adds to MY experience.

 

[shortyz]

its possible... i work in the fruit juice industry and i know with some juices if they are heated to above 160-170f the proteins will floc and fall out. i know this is no where near what you had, but you can discover new **** every day

 

[Psylocide]

Easy enough experiment to recreate. Do it with two bottles... one heated and chilled, one just filled from the keg and left in the fridge.

I'll try it out. I like experimenting.

 

[TheHappyHopper]

That goes against what everyone says about keeping the beer cold once it is carbed and conditioned - so I for one would be very interested if something like this works to clear the beer without negatively affecting the taste.

I bottle all of my beers and I am having a hell of a time getting them to clear up (I would prefer not to use gelatin or other post-boil fining agents if I can avoid it) - even after leaving them in the fridge for weeks, they are still hazy...

 

[Psylocide]

I bottled 2 bottles off the keg of my most recent APA and they are sitting in my 4Runner right now, temp is right around 80° today, so it should be significantly warmer in my vehicle with the sun beating down.

This beer is pretty clear to begin with, but I'll do a side-by-side of of the "heated bottles" vs. a pour off the keg within the next day or two.

Just for fun.

 

[Psylocide]

After doing some very scientific research... I have come to the conclusion that there may be something to this.

I left a bottle of my latest beer in my car for the last few days... it's been high 80's here, which means it's quite a bit hotter in my 4Runner.

I poured every drop that went into the bottle into the glass, to ensure that everything that came out of the keg went in the glass.

The second sample (car bottle) was noticeably clearer, but not to the point where I'd go to a heck of a lot of trouble to recreate. Either way... here are the pictures, taken from the same distance (as close as I could get, anyway.)












So... there you have it. It may make some difference, it may not... but the bottle was the clearer of the two in this case.

Also of note, this brew was a no chill, 30 min mash BIAB with grains crushed to damn near powder.

I've heard you can't make clear beer that way.

EDIT: There was no noticeable difference in taste. But I'm no BJCP judge. Also, I'm attributing the difference in head to a less "vigorous" pour than comes out of my picnic tap. Carbonation level was very similar.

 

[TheCADJockey]

EDIT: There was no noticeable difference in taste. But I'm no BJCP judge. Also, I'm attributing the difference in head to a less "vigorous" pour than comes out of my picnic tap.

This is what worried me, the taste. I never enjoy a growler that sits for any amount of time. Interesting.

 

[Psylocide]

This is what worried me, the taste. I never enjoy a growler that sits for any amount of time. Interesting.

I think there is a difference between a screwtop growler bottled off a keg vs. a properly capped bottle.

Also, I kept it wrapped in a towel to limit any exposure to light.

Either way, it surprised me a little.

 

[PGEduardo]

That goes against what everyone says about keeping the beer cold once it is carbed and conditioned...

I think this has more to do with maintaining carbonation, potentially (maybe doubtfully?) hop aroma? As long as the bottle/growler is well sealed, then the CO2 that comes out of solution should be re-absorbed once you chill it for 24 hours. Not sure about other characteristics, but I know Russian River recommends keeping Pliny chilled at all times...

Interesting finding for sure!

 

[YeastMode]

I just want to be the first to say that if this turns out to be a reliable and repeatable technique, it will be great floc'n news! nestar:

 

[Psylocide]

I just want to be the first to say that if this turns out to be a reliable and repeatable technique, it will be great floc'n news! nestar:

Well, that's the thing... what would the method be for doing a whole batch (especially in the winter around here) and is it really worth the difference? The keg sample is clear enough for me with 6 oz of Hops and 3 oz of Spruce... so, I guess I don't really see going to the trouble to "treat" an entire batch this way.

 

[YeastMode]

Well, that's the thing... what would the method be for doing a whole batch (especially in the winter around here) and is it really worth the difference? The keg sample is clear enough for me with 5 oz of Hops and 3 oz of Spruce... so, I guess I don't really see going to the trouble to "treat" an entire batch this way.

Truth be told I am satisfied with the whirlfloc + cold crash + gelatin combination I use. I just saw the opportunity for a pun/joke, so I took it.

 

[PGEduardo]

Truth be told I am satisfied with the whirlfloc + cold crash + gelatin combination I use. I just saw the opportunity for a pun/joke, so I took it.

...but imagine if you didn't have to do any of those, just leave a keg out in the sun for a day, then keg it up! I think it's worth trying on my next batch...

 

[YeastMode]

...but imagine if you didn't have to do any of those, just leave a keg out in the sun for a day, then keg it up! I think it's worth trying on my next batch...

Eh, maybe if I was trying to brew a Corona clone.

 

[Psylocide]

Eh, maybe if I was trying to brew a Corona clone.

It wouldn't be exposed to light... but, funny you should mention that.

My wife loves Corona light, but does not love what I like to brew/drink.

So, my next batch I am going to brew 5 gal of Cream of 3 Crops and bottle some off the keg into clear bottles, Corona bottles to be exact.

Then I am going to set them in the sun for different periods of time until I find the level of skunk I'm looking for. BM has done it, so I know I'm not crazy. Or if I am, at least I'm in good company.

I love playing with beer as much as I love drinking it.

 

[PlexVector]

I'm conjecturing that in some cases there are leftover proteins and yeast that did not have a chance to floc or form large enough molecules to particulate out, because the concentration would decrease during the initial cold crashing. Maybe warming the beer put these "orphan" particles back into solution, and when re-chilling they can't regroup because there is not enough to reform?

And/or Maybe it's the change in temp (delta T), so before cold crashing raising the temp to the max yeast temp briefly and then cold crashing would be more effective. This is all conjecture. I would need to research the science sometime to form a solid theory, otherwise maybe some testing is in order. (Edison instead of Tesla)

I'm just brainstorming, so maybe this will get someone else thinking that has more knowledge.

 

[YeastMode]

My arm-chair scientist theory is that the heat causes the liquid to be slightly less viscous, thereby allowing coagulated proteins or other objects in suspension to either (1) more freely precipitate out, or (2) homogenize within the liquid once again.

 

[PlexVector]

My arm-chair scientist theory is that the heat causes the liquid to be slightly less viscous, thereby allowing coagulated proteins or other objects in suspension to either (1) more freely precipitate out, or (2) homogenize within the liquid once again.

I pick door #2

 

[YeastMode]

Maybe this for a test: perform the normal process of letting two bottles heat in the car, then cool one of them for 24-48 hours, and leave the other one warm. Then cool the warm one for about 4 hours. Put both and see if the one that was cooled for the longer period is more cloudy.

This should test my theory.

 

[shortyz]

Maybe this for a test: perform the normal process of letting two bottles heat in the car, then cool one of them for 24-48 hours, and leave the other one warm. Then cool the warm one for about 4 hours. Put both and see if the one that was cooled for the longer period is more cloudy.

This should test my theory.

indeed!